Page 17 of Landlord Daddy’s Girl (Daddy’s Girl #6)
EPILOGUE
SIERRA
Three Years Later
I touch the thin platinum bracelet on my wrist and smile, knowing the word “Daddy” etched into the underside is there, but nobody else can see it. It’s a reminder from Slater that I am his. The bracelet has become my touchstone. A little something for me to draw strength and courage from when I need it. And today, on my first solo day in front of my new class, I need all the strength and courage I can get.
“All right, that’s it,” I say. “Good work today, everybody. And remember, your papers are due next week. Don’t slack off and wait until the last minute.”
They all groan good-naturedly as they file out of the lecture hall. Once empty, I stand at my podium and survey the hall, taking in the light, wood-paneled, semi-circular room with the stadium seating. I can practically feel the gravitas and prestige of the university seeping through the walls. It had been a long, hard road to get here, but here I finally am. My first classroom. My first post as a college professor. It’s probably a little corny to be this excited about my first real job, but I don’t care. I can’t keep the smile off my face.
My brother got the permanent posting in England and moved overseas about two years ago. We travel back and forth to spend the holidays together. He loves his job and students and has even found somebody he wants to spend his life with. He’s happier than I’ve ever seen him. And that makes me happy for him. He’s living the life he always wanted, filled with the joy and love he so richly deserves. Having him so far away is difficult, but I’m so happy for him and so proud of him that I want to burst.
“Have I told you I’ve always had a teacher fantasy?”
I look up to see Slater standing near the doors at the top of the bowl. I laugh and feel my cheeks flush. I can’t believe that after all these years, the mere sight of him still sends a flutter through my heart and unleashes a swarm of butterflies in my belly. But that’s the effect he still has on me, and I love it.
“Is that so?” I ask.
Slater comes down the stairs, passing by all the empty seats, then steps up onto the dais where my podium sits. He perches on the corner of my desk and pulls me to him. He slides his hands around my waist, and I lean into him as he gives me a gentle kiss.
“I have. I’ve always thought it would be super hot to have sex with my teacher right here on her desk,” he confesses.
“Well, if you want to live out that fantasy, I guess you’ll have to enroll in my class then.”
“We can pretend.”
“Wouldn’t really be living out that fantasy if you’re not actually my student.”
“You’re as much a stickler for the rules and literal interpretations as your brother.”
“Runs in the family, I’m afraid.”
He laughs. “I guess I’ll have to find another fantasy for you to fulfill.”
“Wow. You still have some?”
“Oh, I’ve got a list.”
“Then I’ll look forward to seeing it,” I say with a laugh.
He kisses me again. “And how was your first day?”
“Amazing.”
“Of course it was. And that’s because you’re amazing.”
“I don’t know that I’d go that far.”
“I would.”
“That’s because you’re biased.”
He shrugs. “Maybe. Doesn’t mean it’s not true, though.”
I kiss him lightly. “You’re the sweetest.”
“Yeah, I know.”
I giggle and slap him playfully on the shoulder. “And how was your day?”
“Good. Great, actually,” he says. “I finally closed on that building down in Seal Beach.”
“You did?”
He nods. “Finally.”
“Then we should go out and celebrate,” I say. “My treat.”
“It better be. After buying that building, I’m broke.”
I laugh again. “Liar. But I’d love to take you out, anyway.”
“Then I’d love for you to take me out.”
Slater has been busy building his real estate empire. He’s bought up a number of buildings and has been doing a lot of the renovations himself, turning older, somewhat run-down apartments into high-end condos. He says he’s building on his father’s legacy, but I see him blazing his own trail. He’s found his niche, and his empire is thriving. He still does some guest bartending shifts here and there, just to break up the monotony, but he’s pretty passionate about working on these buildings, turning pieces of coal into diamonds. He works hard, but he loves what he’s doing.
Life between us has been really good and only seems to be getting better with every passing day. I never thought I could love somebody with the intensity that I love Slater. More than that, I never thought I could let myself be loved with the intensity that he loves me. He still treats me like a queen and goes out of his way to make me happy. It’s almost like a job to him, and he does it with every bit of zeal and passion as the work he puts into his buildings.
I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve the kind of love he gives me. Most days, I battle with the feeling that I’m actually not worthy of it and the fear that one day, he’s going to wake up and realize it as well. But every single day, I’m proven wrong. Slater makes sure I feel loved. He makes sure I feel worthy. And protected. And best of all, he goes out of his way to make me feel safe.
Slater Kirkland is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me, and every morning, I wake up and say a word of thanks to whoever is listening for bringing him back into my life. Despite a bit of a rocky start, things between us have blossomed into the most beautiful thing I could have ever dreamed of. I honestly feel like I’m living a fairy tale, and although I’m not sure how this good fortune has fallen to me, I am going to hold on to it with both hands and never let it go.
“Ready to go?” he asks.
“I am,” I reply. “But… how about we skip dinner, go home, and enjoy a little dessert first?”
He gives me that same wolfish smile that never fails to send a quiver through me. “I like the way you think.”
“Good boy,” I say seductively. “And if you keep being a good boy, I’ll leave the glasses on, and we can work on that teacher fantasy you’ve got.”
He laughs. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too.”
He grabs my messenger bag, takes my hand, and pulls me toward the door. As we walk out of the room, I reach out and turn the lights off, plunging the hall into darkness behind us. I giggle as I let him pull me along, just as eager to get home as he is.
I love my life.